Religious Liberty – Page 83

Please Ask Governor Hutchinson to Sign HB1228

Mar 31, 2015Jerry Cox1 CommentReligious FreedomAlert, Emergency Alert System, Religious Freedom, Religious Liberty, RFRA

The Arkansas House of Representatives has voted to send H.B. 1228, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, to Governor Hutchinson to be signed into law.

This good bill affirms and upholds religious liberty in Arkansas. It is modeled after legislation in at least 20 other states and the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act signed by President Clinton in 1993.

All told, Arkansas is one of only 11 states with no law or court ruling on the books spelling out protections for religious liberty.

Please call Governor Asa Hutchinson’s office right away, and ask him to sign H.B. 1228 into law. This is a good bill that prevents the state from infringing religious liberty in Arkansas.

You can leave a message for Governor Hutchinson at (501) 682-2345.

You can send Governor Hutchinson a tweet at @AsaHutchinson.

Connecticut Boycotts Indiana Over Connecticut-Style RFRA

Mar 31, 2015Jerry CoxReligious FreedomReligious Freedom, Religious Liberty, RFRA

Connecticut is making headlines today for becoming the first state to officially boycott the State of Indiana over Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The only problem is Connecticut has a Religious Freedom Restoration Act on the books almost identical to Indiana’s.

The Connecticut law says,

“The state or any political subdivision of the state shall not burden a person’s exercise of religion under section 3 of article first of the Constitution of the state even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section.

“(b) The state or any political subdivision of the state may burden a person’s exercise of religion only if it demonstrates that application of the burden to the person (1) is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest, and (2) is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.”

Indiana’s law says, “A state action, or an action taken by an individual based on state action, may not substantially burden a person’s right to the exercise of religion, even if the burden results from a law or policy of general applicability, unless the state or political subdivision of the state demonstrates that applying the burden to the person’s exercise of religion is: (1) essential to further a compelling governmental interest; and (2) the least restrictive means of furthering the compelling governmental interest.”

Connecticut was among the first states to adopt a Religious Freedom Restoration Act–some 22 years ago, in 1993. The fact that Connecticut’s law has been on the books for so many years without any problems demonstrates protecting religious liberty from government infringement should not be controversial.

House Committee Votes to Concur on Religious Freedom Bill

Mar 30, 2015Jerry Cox1 CommentReligious FreedomArkansas Legislature, Religion, Religious Freedom, Religious Liberty, RFRA

This morning the House Judiciary Committee voted to concur in the amendments the Arkansas Senate made to H.B. 1228, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).